Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas claimed man-of-the match honours as his side sank Greece in a penalty shootout to reach the World Cup quarter finals for the first time and a clash with the Netherlands.
Reduced to 10 men in the second half, Costa Rica still seemed to be on course for an upset victory until Sokratis Papastathopoulos made the score 1-1 in injury time to extend the battle.
Navas blocked a string of shots in the game and made a superb one-handed save of Theofanis Gekas’ penalty in the shootout to set up the 5-3 victory.
Captain Bryan Ruiz scored in the 52nd minute to give the central Americans a 1-0 lead at Arena Pernambuco.
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But defender Oscar Duarte was ordered off for a second bookable offence shortly after and Greece poured forward looking for an equaliser.
They provided the late drama when Papastathopoulos pounced on the rebound from Gekas’ strike in the first minute of added-on time to slam it past Navas.
But it was the only shot the Costa Rica goalkeeper missed all night and he was overwhelmingly voted man of the match.
Greece spurned several chances to win the game in extra time against the tiring Costa Ricans. Those misses proved costly for Fernando Santos’ men in the penalty shoot-out.
With Costa Rica leading 4-3 after Joel Campbell rolled the ball past Orestis Karnezis, Gekas saw his chance to pull the Greeks level pushed away by Navas.
Costa Rica secured their first ever appearance in the last eight on what is only their fourth finals appearance when Michael Umana stepped up to beat Karnezis from the spot.
The Costa Ricans claimed another European scalp with the win, having beaten Italy 1-0 and drawn with England 0-0 in Group D.
Costa Rica started brightly, but early offerings by Christian Bolanos and Ruiz, set up by Campbell after he had dispossessed a Greek defender, came to nothing.
The Central Americans came close just before the quarter-hour when Ruiz set up Bolanos to the left of goal but his drive rose above the hands of Karnezis.
Greece, appearing in the last 16 for the first time, spurned their best chance of the half on 37 minutes.
Dimitris Salpingidis had ghosted in at the back post to connect with a cross that had been whipped in from the left, but his first-timer saw a flailing Navas to turn the ball to safety for a corner.
Greece’s positive end to the half was in stark contrast to a terrible start to the second.
An innocuous-looking attack launched by Campbell on the left saw Bolanos set up Ruiz to sidefoot a low shot past the static Karnezis, whose view appeared blocked by Papastathopoulos.
Urgency was injected into the pace of the game immediately, but after Kostas Mitroglou replaced fellow striker Andreas Samaris, the Greeks were given a boost when Duarte was given a second yellow card for a wild lunge on Jose Holebas.
Santos made a series of changes late in the game and the arrival of Gekas for Salpingidis would prove crucial.
In the first minute of injury time Gekas pounced on a loose ball in the area and when Navas blocked his shot on the turn Papastathopoulos slammed home the rebound home to send the Greeks wild.
Navas had to look smart two minutes later when Mitroglou’s glancing header forced him into a spectacular one-handed save before the whistle blew to signal extra-time.
The leveller stunned an already tiring Costa Rica, who did well to survive a Greek onslaught in extra time.
Only the foot of Giancarlo Gonzalez denied Kostas Katsouranis to the left of goal, and then Navas was forced out to dive low and collect as Gekas ran on to a dangerous through bal
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ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
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Main camera: Triple: 48MP main (f/1.78) + 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2) + 12MP 5x telephoto (f/2.8); 5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 10x optical zoom range, digital zoom up to 25x; Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4, Portrait Lighting
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I/O: USB-C
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In the box: iPhone 15 Pro Max, USB-C-to-USB-C woven cable, one Apple sticker
Price: Dh5,099 / Dh5,949 / Dh6,799
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Average amount of biofuel produced at DIC factory every month: Approximately 106,000 litres
Amount of biofuel produced from 1 litre of used cooking oil: 920ml (92%)
Time required for one full cycle of production from used cooking oil to biofuel: One day
Energy requirements for one cycle of production from 1,000 litres of used cooking oil:
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Name: Kinetic 7
Started: 2018
Founder: Rick Parish
Based: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Industry: Clean cooking
Funding: $10 million
Investors: Self-funded
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Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
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Translator: Luke Leafgren
Pages: 352
Publisher: And Other Stories
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Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
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Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
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Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
Funding: $4 million
Investors: Privately/self-funded
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
The Specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 118hp
Torque: 149Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Price: From Dh61,500
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Terra
Started: 2021
Based: Dubai
Founder: Hussam Zammar
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Started: December 2023
Founder: Ivan Kroshnyi
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